Wendy E. Thomas
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View article: Ultra-slow conformational dynamics and catch bond formation of a Bacterial Adhesin revealed by a single-domain variant of FimH
Ultra-slow conformational dynamics and catch bond formation of a Bacterial Adhesin revealed by a single-domain variant of FimH Open
Bacterial adhesins such as FimH are critical for host colonization and persistence under the mechanical forces encountered at sites of infection such as the urinary tract. Despite decades of research, the molecular mechanisms by which FimH…
View article: Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Content Into Bioengineering Curricula: A Program-Level Approach
Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Content Into Bioengineering Curricula: A Program-Level Approach Open
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are interconnected with bioengineering, yet have historically been absent from accreditation standards and curricula. Toward educating DEI-competent bioengineers and meeting evolving accreditation req…
View article: Effect of Gravity on Bacterial Adhesion to Heterogeneous Surfaces
Effect of Gravity on Bacterial Adhesion to Heterogeneous Surfaces Open
Bacterial adhesion is the first step in the formation of surface biofilms. The number of bacteria that bind to a surface from the solution depends on how many bacteria can reach the surface (bacterial transport) and the strength of interac…
View article: A small-scale Development Impact Bond for hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment in Cameroon: the way to elimination?
A small-scale Development Impact Bond for hepatitis C diagnosis and treatment in Cameroon: the way to elimination? Open
In the absence of sufficient (tax-based) healthcare financing in low-and middle-income countries, innovative financing models are needed. This study assessed quantitatively and qualitative the feasibility of a Development Impact Bond (DIB)…
View article: Stretching to image VWF in shear flow
Stretching to image VWF in shear flow Open
Mnk1 in platelets and thrombosis specifically in vivo.Furthermore, it will be interesting to elucidate the role of Mnk1 in physiological and pathophysiological conditions, where platelets are considered important, such as wound healing, in…
View article: Black Dots: Microcontact-Printed, Reference-Free Traction Force Microscopy
Black Dots: Microcontact-Printed, Reference-Free Traction Force Microscopy Open
Measuring the traction forces produced by cells provides insight into their behavior and physiological function. Here, we developed a technique (dubbed ‘black dots’) that microcontact prints a fluorescent micropattern onto a flexible subst…
View article: Toggle switch residues control allosteric transitions in bacterial adhesins by participating in a concerted repacking of the protein core
Toggle switch residues control allosteric transitions in bacterial adhesins by participating in a concerted repacking of the protein core Open
Critical molecular events that control conformational transitions in most allosteric proteins are ill-defined. The mannose-specific FimH protein of Escherichia coli is a prototypic bacterial adhesin that switches from an ‘inactive’ low-aff…
View article: Paradata - from by-product to standard documentation
Paradata - from by-product to standard documentation Open
By looking at the current examples and use cases of paradata this paper develops a comprehensive description of what paradata is and how it is used in the preparation, capture, processing, and analysis of data. It explores a general model …
View article: RMSD analysis of structures of the bacterial protein FimH identifies five conformations of its lectin domain
RMSD analysis of structures of the bacterial protein FimH identifies five conformations of its lectin domain Open
FimH is a bacterial adhesin protein located at the tip of Escherichia coli fimbria that functions to adhere bacteria to host cells. Thus, FimH is a critical factor in bacterial infections such as urinary tract infections and is of interest…
View article: Recognition of specific sialoglycan structures by oral streptococci impacts the severity of endocardial infection
Recognition of specific sialoglycan structures by oral streptococci impacts the severity of endocardial infection Open
Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis are primary colonizers of the tooth surface. Although generally non-pathogenic in the oral environment, they are a frequent cause of infective endocarditis. Both streptococcal species expr…
View article: Calpain drives pyroptotic vimentin cleavage, intermediate filament loss, and cell rupture that mediates immunostimulation
Calpain drives pyroptotic vimentin cleavage, intermediate filament loss, and cell rupture that mediates immunostimulation Open
Significance Pyroptosis is a form of inflammatory cell death. It is driven by plasma membrane pore formation that is thought to rupture cells through osmotic influx, thereby releasing intracellular content that initiates an inflammatory re…
View article: Serine-Rich Repeat Adhesins Mediate Shear-Enhanced Streptococcal Binding to Platelets
Serine-Rich Repeat Adhesins Mediate Shear-Enhanced Streptococcal Binding to Platelets Open
The binding of bacteria to platelets is thought to be a central event in the pathogenesis of infective endocarditis. The serine-rich repeat (SRR) glycoproteins of viridans group streptococci have been shown to mediate platelet binding in v…
View article: Only the strong: when antibodies hold on
Only the strong: when antibodies hold on Open
In this issue of Blood, Quach et al demonstrate that a rarely studied property of antibodies can be critical to immune function.1
View article: A multiplexed magnetic tweezer with precision particle tracking and bi-directional force control
A multiplexed magnetic tweezer with precision particle tracking and bi-directional force control Open
This platform provides a simple, effective, and flexible method for efficiently gathering single molecule force spectroscopy measurements.
View article: Mechanism of allosteric propagation across a β‐sheet structure investigated by molecular dynamics simulations
Mechanism of allosteric propagation across a β‐sheet structure investigated by molecular dynamics simulations Open
The bacterial adhesin FimH consists of an allosterically regulated mannose‐binding lectin domain and a covalently linked inhibitory pilin domain. Under normal conditions, the two domains are bound to each other, and FimH interacts weakly w…
View article: Differential surface activation of the A1 domain of von Willebrand factor
Differential surface activation of the A1 domain of von Willebrand factor Open
The clotting protein von Willebrand factor (VWF) binds to platelet receptor glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) when VWF is activated by chemicals, high shear stress, or immobilization onto surfaces. Activation of VWF by surface immobilization is an …